Homemade Gifts

bmj191

Thank you very much :-)

Visiting my mother this weekend and she's given me 4 bin bags of vintage materials! Can't wait to go home and get the sewing machine on. We have a christening this week, I'll see what I can do. Any ideas?

MaggieBaking

Cupcakes can be great if packaged in a wrapped shoe box.

When making food gifts always write up a nice note with the recipe, that way your gift is some knowledge as well as effort!

There are dry cake mixes that look great packaged up in a jar, but I don't have any recipes for it, a bit like this:

becci_62

what about making your own candles?

zippychick

We do have a homemade gifts thread. Ill merge this later for you

Zip

Butterfly_Brain

I made a young couple who had just moved in together a house hamper and in it I put egg cups, tea towels, mugs, a set of place mats and coasters and a tea coffee and sugar jar set. They said it was the most useful present that they had that year because they had nothing that I had put in the hamper when they moved in together apart from big stuff so it really helped them out.

I made MIL a crotched blanket that she loves and if you look on etsy or folksy they can cost £90 to £100 :eek:

I am currently knitting DD's BF a space invaders scarf and matching hand warmers which I know that he will love.

bonsibabe

I am so glad I have found this thread!!!!! I've been wanting to branch out of just making home made gifts just for my parents. They know we are skint and really appreciate the effort that goes into everything I make them.

So this time I'm making as many as possible!!! We have just printed out about 40 little cards, so I'm off to the craft shop next week to see if I can get a bag of white feathers to make these http://www.craftbits.com/project/angel-feather-gift-poem as possible. We already had some red card in the house so that didn't cost us and the printing cost pennies so all I have to get is some A5 laminator sheets, feathers and magnets and we are done!!! The kids have decided to give these to their teachers, friends, and various family members so I will be marking them "handmade by" so that everyone sees the effort the kids are going to. And the best part was it was my DD1's idea to give home-made gifts to their teachers and pals!!! But bit by bit the list of folk to get one has grown substantially so thankfully I have been buying stamps all year round so the postage should be sorted too!!!

I'm going to make some bed-socks for my mum and mil, scarves for as many folk as i can think of, and hopefully some nice other bits and bobs for folk as i think of it. Thank you all for the inspiration. I hope that these cards the girls are making will make the recipients happy to see that effort and time has gone into the making of the gifts, and not just a quick materialistic trip to the shops!

jeanniebeanie_2

Hi all. Hoping that someone can help me out a bit.

My daughter is having a small island beach wedding next year and I would like to make little "boasting books" both as keepsakes for those attending and for those who can't be there.

What I have in mind is this

http://www.paperchase.co.uk/photo-albums-+amp-scrapbooks/black-a5-landscape-scrapbook/invt/00485819/

but need them in a pastel colour (they do them in a buff colour too, but my daughter has her heart set on pastel). Plain obviously, for decoration in a beach theme.

Anyone know where to find them? I have tried Googling so as not to waste your time, but drawn a blank so far. Thanks.

Nicky2905

Wow - great thread!! I am seriously strapped for cash this year - fortunately I have over £200 on my clubcard which will have to do to get the kids xmas pressies. (sounds like a lot, but doesn't go far when you consider they both believe in santa, so I need to have a decent amount of bits and bobs from him - they know I don't have much money so won't mind not getting much from "me" but Santa, well he needs to bulk those stockings out!!)

So, I am making homemade hampers for family this year - so far am thinking cake, fudge, mince pies, minature bottles of booze, and am going to get some festive paper cups and fill them with assorted sweets wrapped with cellophane and ribbon.

ginnyknit

I personally would buy a pack of thick card and cut pages, punch holes and then thread together with ribbon -cost you a fiver for loads that way.

You can still fasten ribbon ties to the leading edge sticking the ribbon ends under the paper you decorate the pages with - does that make sense? Pastel paper packs can be bought at lots of craft shops. If you need any help PM me.

jeanniebeanie_2

Thanks Ginny and Wilding.

Wilding I have never heard of Japanese Bookbinding- will look at that a lot more closely. I have until June, so plenty of time and am thinking about 8-10 books. Only parents and siblings at wedding and books for grandparents/aunts, one per household. Don't want to bore too many people :rotfl:

Ginny- Yours is a great value option, but would I would really like a "hardback" if possible and don't know where to get card of that weight. I can get to a Paper Mill, so the inner pages would be no problem.